Cheap fast food. The best, the worst.

I fully admit that over the summer I may have indulged a little more than I should have regarding eating out, specifically fast food. I know there are health and quality concerns that need to be considered, but I consider it one of my precious few luxuries. Even while indulging, I tried my very best to stick to a reasonable budget. When I was with the missus this was difficult, as when we eat out we tend to make it a full meal. But after a number of hard mornings at the office I became quite adept at satisfying my hunger with minimal damage to my budget.

There are certain places to eat for certain things and while sometimes you have a craving you just can't shake, most often than not you can have a filling lunch for two dollars or so, if you pick your poison wisely.

Some places are better to eat at than others when it comes to a limited budget, as I'll explain below.

• Subway: This popular chain has released a new ad campaign, selling $5 foot long subs. This seems fairly reasonable at first glance and it is in the end of things. But in comparison to a lot of other fast food franchises, it isn't terribly great. You're restricted to a set number of sandwiches, and Subway isn't known for piling on the ingredients. After tax you are probably ringing up a fair bit above the advertised $5, especially if you buy a bag of chips and a fountain drink.
  
  Healthier than most other fast food chains, but by far not the cheapest.
  
  
• Dunkin Donuts: Dunkin's has entered the realm of fast food not terribly long ago with their flat bread sandwiches and personal pizzas. But in comparison to other chains they're neither cheap or filling per dollar spent. Delicious? Perhaps. Worth it? Not really.
  
  Money is best spent here with a Munchkin, Small Coffee Combo. Stay far, far away from the budget breaking Coolattas.
  
  
• McDonalds: The double cheese burger reigns king at McDonalds when you're looking for the cheapest, best thing on the menu. Typically selling for $1 it's a pretty good deal. Before you unwrap it and sink your teeth into it's greasy, condiment flavored interior. Any given bite of this baby will either taste like beef-like-substance bread or ketchup.
  
  The four piece nugget is quite delicious, but for a $1 you'll need two or three just to satisfy mild hunger.
  
  
• Burger King: In my opinion Burger King is superior to McDonalds in all ways. This includes their value menu. The best item for your dollar? Undisputedly the Whopper Jr, of course. This tiny version of the whopper actually contains more than condiments, with the full lettuce, pickle, onion and tomato you'd expect on a cheese burger.
  
  Besides that the value menu is pretty lacking. You have the standard chicken sandwich, fries and onion rings, but they're neither substantial or worth the money in a tight lunch budget.
  
  
• Wendy's: Wendy's brings a lot to the table for the cheap grease seeker. It is typically my cheap meal ticket of choice in most situations. Wendy's bread and butter value menu product is the Junior Bacon Cheese Burger. While relatively small, two easily make a filling meal for just over $2.
  
  Several new items to the value menu include a double cheese burger that is fairly decent in comparison to McDonalds and a Crispy Chicken sandwich that is best not discussed.
  
  A small chili without cheese is likely the best value, ringing in at around $1.20.
  
  
• Taco Bell: My holy grail for fast, greasy food on the go. The only reason why I'm not constantly shoveling this down my gullet is the lack of establishments in my area. The food is delicious, dirt cheap (likely because the contents are items that are essentially the cheapest on the planet) and quickly prepared.
  
  The undisputed king of Taco Bell's value menu is the simple taco. Soft flour or crunchy corn you're not spending a cent more than $0.89 for this simple cheap meal. The Taco Bell menu is highly modular, so coupling a single taco with say, the $1.00 double beef burrito is quite easy.
  
  That being said it's quite easy to be side tracked into purchasing one of the more expensive items, such as a Crunchwrap (up to $3) or a Gordita (up to $2.50).

Are there regional favorites like Jack in the Box, Sonic, Chipotle Grill, Checkers and their ilk? Absolutely. But I really can't offer an opinion on many others, despite their regional existence and lack of nearby locations.

Of course I'm in no way suggesting you eat at any of these establishments frequently. I typically limit myself to one excursion a week. Usually to Taco Bell. Used in conjunction with adequate exercise and a bit of self control the value menu at any of these establishments can be a welcome treat to the financially challenged individual.

Avoid Getting Ripped Off: Buying High Ticket Items

I married my long time love interest on August 2nd. We've been through a lot together and in a lot of ways we're already like an old couple. While we just got married we had been living together for years and before that we were in a relationship pretty much since early 2000. The word marriage wasn't so much important to us as the benefits of being married. We're both very nonreligious people, but the legal system is designed to protect those who share a union. Since she is now a federal employee and receives significantly better health coverage than yesteryears and I'm technically an independent contractor it was the only logical decision. So we had a tiny super cheap wedding.

The one thing that we decided to spend an appreciable amount of money on were our wedding rings. Being a salesman in a former life and having dealt first hand with a number of overly pushy commission based retailers, we weren't exactly looking forward to shopping. Picking them out, yes. We loved that part. But we loathed dealing with the phony in your face sales sharks who simply saw dollar signs.

We went into the situation with a mindset that we were not going to be ripped off. Believe it or not, we actually drew up a list beforehand to help us in our shopping excursion. These tips should work for any high ticket item, be it a computer, car or wedding ring.

• Don't deal with sales people (at first): Yes, they're there to help you. But they also have their own bills to pay and their own agenda. Any advice they give you might be tainted with their own best interests in mind instead of yours. So research the field you're looking to buy into. Utilize the internet to narrow your selection and needs down to a general price range that you find acceptable.
  
  
• Command respect: Don't let them do all of the talking. When you are finally ready to engage a sales person, do just that. Engage them in conversation. Ask intelligent questions as to the nature of the product you're thinking about buying. Make them explain themselves if they're not entirely clear. If you appear docile and meek you might just find yourself in the hands of something who thinks you're an easy paycheck.
  
  
• Dress right: And by this I do not mean "dress for success." If you look like you're capable of dropping a lot of dough, you're likely going to give the sales clerk that image as a first impression.
  
  So leave your expensive inherited gold watch, Coach purse, fancy leather jacket and other assorted bling at home. If you have one, put your wedding ring in your pocket. These are all things sales people immediately key in on.
  
  Dress decent, but over all pretty casual. Like you were going to a movie with a couple of friends.
  
  
• Bring a partner: Whether you bring your significant other or a friend, two heads are better than one. You'll have someone not directly invested in the purchase to bounce logical ideas off of. You'll also have someone to remain an outsider in case you start to be drawn into a sale that you may regret later.
  
  
• Don't talk to your partner (too much): Whether you're shopping with your boyfriend, wife or best friend don't talk to them too much while the sales associate is hovering around you. Make sure you're both crystal clear on this subject. The last thing you want is your wife saying "You should get it, you know you want it." in front of an already pushy commission shark. You'll find yourself pressured from two sides, instead of just one.
  
  Instead politely excuse yourselves to discuss the issue at a nice distance.
  
  
• Be wary of expiring offers: Be careful associates informing you that "this bracelet is the last one we have.." or that "this sale is for this afternoon only." It's a common tactic to introduce time limits on things. It encourages impulse buys. Which is not what you want to do with a high ticket item. Take advantage of them, but don't do so simply because of the fact.
  
  
• Don't be scared to walk away: Arguably the most powerful tool in your arsenal. Competition breeds low prices. We all know that a monopoly (the economic situation, not the board game) is a bad thing. Regardless of the item, you can probably find it elsewhere cheaper. The only thing that differs is the effort put into the search.
  
  So if a sales person is pressuring you to make a decision before you've had time to logically think out the pros and the cons of the price, politely thank them and go catch a cup of coffee. The sales associate will know you're capable of walking out on an offer and you'll have time to logically think out the situation on your own terms. If you decide to go back both parties will be aware of just how far the other is capable of going.
  

This is not a catch all, but instead a general outline with a couple of things that can keep you protected. So long as you remain smart and don't allow yourself to be manipulated you'll be able to get your high ticket item at a fair price well within your budget.

Beat the heat without breaking the bank

Record high temperatures have slammed into the north eastern United States with a fury. My weatherman is flirting with 100 degree afternoons now and it's not even technically summer quite yet. Right now sweat is pouring down my forehead and I'm armed with a personal fan and an enormous glass of ice cold cranberry juice.

And yet I dread laying down on sticky sheets trying to catch a couple of hours of sleep in this stifling, oppressive humidity. Less than a month ago I was shutting up all of the windows at night and turning on the heater just to keep the temperature of the house at a pretty chilly 60 degrees.

Needless to say because of the equally oppressive New England winters and the cost of running such behemoths many homes don't exactly home standard with central air. While it's true my household has a small air conditioner it's best suited for a single small room at best. And even then it causes our electricity bill to spike dangerously high. Something we clearly cannot quite afford yet.

So, whenever we possibly can we have been attempting to flee our home for cooler pastures. But it's been very difficult to stick to our winter budget in our quest to stay cool. We've gone through a little brainstorming session and we think we've come up with a couple of ways to keep our dollars safely nestled in our bank account and our heads from over heating.

In this post I'll detail frugal beach survival.

• Food. Bring your own: We recently paid a visit to Lake Sunapee on a quest to see how badly we could burn our nearly translucent hides. (I'll give you a hint: Very badly.) The day was crystal clear and in the 90s. The beach was lovely and relatively sparsely populated. And considering the lake was covered with ice in April, the water was fairly warm. (55 F)
  
  But it cost us $8 to park the car and $10 in gas to get up there. We expected these misfortunes, grinned and bore them. To cut costs we made our own sandwiches from scratch, filled water bottles with tap water and loaded up our cooler with ice packs. We knew it would be tempting to go for a slice of pizza or a hot dog from a beach side vendor, but it'd absolutely crush our budget just to fill our bellies.
  
  So we steeled ourselves and committed to our sandwiches and tap water. With the money we saved in food costs we'll be able to pay a second visit much sooner than we otherwise would have been able to.
  
  
• Commuting. Take some friends, share the burden: Gasoline prices are sky rocketing. So why not plan an outing to the beach with a couple of friends instead of just the mister or missus? If you have a fair drive to the local swimming hole, river, lake, pond or ocean and you know you'll be paying an arm and a leg for parking go ahead and stuff as many people in your car as possible.
  
  Most beach goers go in twos. Double it and split up the costs accordingly. And hey, if you don't want to hang out with the people you shared a car with just go your separate ways.
  
  
• Consider going somewhere more local: As a rule of thumb the ocean is almost always a busier and more costly spot to pay a visit. So why not stick closer to home and pay a visit to a local pond, lake or river so long as local regulations and conditions are permitting? You won't have to worry about crowds, the high cost of parking or getting all that sticky salt out of your hair at the end of the night.
  
  
• Go for the long haul: My logic has always been if you're going to enjoy yourself really enjoy yourself. If you're paying an arm and a leg for gasoline, parking and food just to get a little bit of much needed sun, sand and relaxation make the absolute best of it.
  
  Get there early in the morning, stake out a good spot and set up shop. Bring a book and a stocked cooler. Stay for awhile. Maybe even until the beach shuts down. Squeeze every penny of value from your trip.
  
  If you feel tired of the surf, just take a nap.
  
  
• Bring the right things: Ideally every beach trip should be prepared in advanced, preferably the night prior. To maximize your comfort level a couple of things are pretty much standard. Many substitutions can be made of the fly, however.
  
  
  • Beach Blanket: Can be replaced with an old, clean bed sheet.
  • Beach Towel: Easily replaced by irregular bath sheets.
    
  • Shade: If the beach is open with little to no shade, consider buying a small sun shelter. If you don't have that kind of cash you can always nap under a light cotton over shirt and a baseball cap.
    
  • Cooler: A must if you're planning on spending any appreciable amount of time on the sand. If you've recently lost yours to a tragic party accident a covered 5 gallon bucket with ice packs and a some manner of cover will suffice just fine.
    
  • Sunscreen: Required. Skin cancer goes poorly in a country lacking universal health care with a weak currency. Pick yours up at your friendly local mega-mart or discount big box store (Sam's Club, BJs). Never buy your sunblock at a beach side store or a gas station. Your wallet will thank you.
    
    

So long as you keep your budget in the front of your mind and do a little thought before hand you can escape the brutal summer heat and have a little fun in the process, whether it's at your local pond or an expansive beach.

Do you have some tips for summer beach survival for the frugal fellow? Post them in the comments along with a link to your blog and I'll link back to it in my next post!

How to successfully raid a farmer's market

Spring is here and now we find ourselves flirting with the gorgeous girl that summer is, however fleeting she may be. Eerily pale New Englanders are beginning to stumble into the daylight, only to discover their chalky white skin will offer absolutely no protection against the growing day light. Floridians are slathering on the SPF 9,000 and Californians are now switching from red to white wines and from blue tinted sun glasses to the more stylish green.

I can say from first hand experience that last winter was hard and brutal. I thought I'd lose my mind on the fourth or fifth midnight furnace watch when the mercury started to dip below -15 F and our kerosene tank started to freeze. But if one thing kept be going through the long, hard winter it was the promise of one thing and one thing only.

Food.

In the frozen wasteland that is New Hampshire during the deep freeze of winter everything is either canned, frozen or imported from third world countries below the equator. Which is fine. I like being able to eat, even if it has to either taste like salty mush or come from Brazil with a price tag that'd put hard liquor to shame. But summer offers something different.

Summer offers a taste of local foods. Corn that hasn't traveled more than two zip codes and peaches that you might be able to see growing from the roof of your house. The recent Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kick off for summer.

So when it's time to honor our veterans farmer's markets and fruit stands begin to set up shop. But this year is different. This year we're finding prices a bit higher than the previous. And with it some yankee traders may attempt to take advantage of fresh food starved, over zealous folk looking to sink their teeth into an affordable habanero pepper.

Some "local" farmers markets may very well be hocking the exact same imported wares that your mega mart was pushing on you during the winter months. Some may provide you with honest locally grown fruits and vegetables, but will put even the most conservative grocer to shame with crazy mark up and substandard quality.

Which is not to say that you should steer clear of the enigmatic farmer's market or roadside fruit stand. You should absolutely support locally owned businesses and reap the benefits of the fleeting summer months, so long as you follow a couple of guidelines.

• Make sure you know what's in season: There's a reason why apples are dirt cheap in fall. That's when they're harvested in most areas, the market is flooded. The same goes for spring. Spring apples are imported from all over the world, so you may very well be paying more on shipping costs (and spent cargo plane fuel) than the actual fruit itself.
  
  So do yourself a favor and look for items that are in peak season and stick to them. Do you desperately want an ear of corn in North Dakota, but it's only June 2nd? Chances are your product was flown it from Florida a month prior. Will it be edible? Sure. Will it be cheap? Not a chance.
  
  
• Examine your surroundings: Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. Are you shopping from a single lonely stand on the highway? Or are you shopping from a group of merchants set up in an empty lot, packed with customers? If business seems steady, the place seems clean and there are multiple vendors to choose from you've almost always found a winning market.
  
  
• Stay away from heavily processed foods: I'm hardly a freegan. But there seems to be something wrong with buying a meat pie from the back of some guy's truck. Plus, buying processed foods takes the point away from the whole concept of shopping at a local market. Who's to say the potatoes and carrots in it weren't canned? Isn't it kind of self defeating?
  
  That being said there's nothing wrong with buying some maple syrup candy for the kids or a couple of simple bread loaves, so long as they are not outrageously priced. Just remember, the more heavily an item is processed the higher price tag it's going to have.
  
  
• Remember your normal budget: How much would you think a pound of peaches goes for at your local mega mart? Is it comparable to the price at your local fruit stand? If yes, it may very well be the same product that's been imported from who knows where.
  
  
• Talk to those selling you your dinner: It'll do wonders. The Farmer's Market is supposed to be a friendly, casual atmosphere usually held out doors. More often than not the people manning the stands are the same people who grew the plum tomatoes you're looking to stuff.
  
  Ask questions. What would they take home today? Where did this head of lettuce come from? How has the harvest been so far? You might make a couple of friends. And as a great man once said, "Friend's don't let friend's buy junk."
  
  
• Come prepared: You're not exactly dealing with a Wal-Mart super center and the stand you're shopping from may not even have an electrical outlet to proces your fancy and likely unnecessary American Express card. So bring a fair amount of cash in small denominations.
  
  And don't forget something to haul away all of your loot. Reusable canvas bags, backpacks and coolers with ice packs are all excellent items to bring to a farmer's market. Always bring more than you think you're going to need, you may very well find a great deal.
  
  
• Steel yourself against things you might not really want: Just because you bring more storage space than you need does not mean you have to leave with sixteen pounds of ruby red grapefruit and four dozen years of corn. If the food is fresh and you find yourself wanting to overbuy, take a break. Buy a small quantity, have a snack and see if it's really worth it. You might find that you were a bit greedy. Or not greedy enough.
  

Just remember to make it an experience worth remembering. Make the trip an enjoyable experience with friends and family. Try not to quibble too much over price. You only live once, and winter is right around the corner. So get your fill while you can.

Hobbies for the frugal

Everyone has at least one hobby. Something they really enjoy doing that doesn't really have a practical and every day purpose. I've met people who like collecting retro video games, people who make beautiful music and people who love putting together elaborate model trains and villages.

The problem is, when money gets a bit tight the hobbies are usually the very first things to go, even before free time and food. Which is a shame. Hobbies define who we are. It adds a little bit of character and color into our lives. Which is exactly what most people need when they find themselves strapped for cash.

But hobbies don't necessarily have to be costly. Sure, a lot of the good ones are. But there are many things that you can do to occupy you body and mind other than mindless toiling under the gun of making an extra dollar.

Here are a couple of small suggestions. But this mind is by all means not a tell all list. There's an infinite number of things you can do to occupy yourself. You just need to be a little creative.

• Read
  So long as you're not married to any given series of books or costly periodical reading remains one of the cheapest pay for hobbies imaginable. You can find any given book type under the sun at your local library. And if they don't have it, they can order it for you.
  
  If you must permanently possess a piece of literature you can try any number of used book stores, thrift stores or book sales. Many of these places also carry older magazines. While the pop culture periodicals are probably pretty worthless you can always find those that cannot be made obsolete with time, such as National Geographic.
  
  
• Paint
  Acrylic paint, brushes and unfinished wooden doohickeys are surprisingly cheap at general craft stores. Despite my manly prowess, I've found myself on occasion painting pretty pink jewelry boxes with bumble bees and hearts. You can find a surprising amount of unfinished items, too. Everything from boxes to coat racks to chairs and wooden toys.
  
  
• Gardening / Yard improvement
  When I hear the word "yard work" I cringe. But I have to admit that after I quit my complaining I actually really enjoy getting outside and scotching my pasty white skin beneath the blazing New England sun. After spending a whole winter couped up in a tiny house with debris gathering on the yard it's good to clear some leaves and brush sometimes.
  
  
• Hiking
  If you don't live in the very center of a heavily urbanized area, chances are there's some mighty fine hiking within a half an hour of your home. So long as you have a good pair of boots, a rucksack and a water bottle you're more than capable of getting outside and enjoying some fresh air.
  
  If you need a little help in finding some local trails, try TrailFinder which is maintained by the American Hiking Society. The resource even provides locations for additional outdoor activities, such as dog hiking, biking, fishing and camping. If you're willing to shell out a hundred bucks or so on a GPS, you can always try Geocaching, too. After the original investment in the GPS device there's no direct cost involved.
  
  
• Bird watching
  Whether you're lazy and prefer to do it on your back porch with a glass of ice tea and a bird feeder or a bit more proactive with a pair of binoculars and hiking boots bird watching won't cost you a time if you're frugal about it.
  
  And if you're looking for something a bit more elaborate than stale bread in the backyard, unfinished bird feeders are pretty cheap. As are mixed seeds and hummingbird nectar.
  
  
  
  
• Some sports
  Hockey is a bad hobby for the frugal fiend because of all the equipment involved to do it safely. Not to mention the cost of using a skating rink. But basketball, soccer, baseball, softball and touch football all just pretty much require a ball and maybe a bat.
  
  
• Stargazing
  In my driveway on a clear night it's hard to make out much in the sky. A couple of the better known constellations, maybe Mars of Venus. There's a fair bit of light pollution, so stargazing is pretty difficult.
  
  But if I drive 15 minutes down the road to a cemetery in my local state park all of that fades away and suddenly I can see more stars than I ever could have imagined. I did this with the last lunar eclipse. Stargazing itself is always free. It's even better if you can find a pair of binoculars from another era and blow off the dust.
  

Regardless of what you'd like to do it's always important to keep a hobby while in financial straights. It'll serve as a release valve for all the stress that's sure to come with living on a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle.

The Sewing Kit: Your best friend

Let's face it. When our clothes get a little worn out and torn the vast majority of us create a new oil rag, chew toy for the dog or contribute to our daily landfill allowance. Clothes in this era are mass produced by industrial machines and foreign labor. They are relatively cheap and not exactly designed to last forever. But when you're on a fixed income and paying off your heating bill looks a little better than buying a new pair of work slacks, it's time to bust out the best friend and frugal fiend can favor, their sewing kit.

I learned to sew probably like most everyone else. In high school home economics, with a grumpy woman who looked older than the White House. And while I did forget a substantial amount of what the woman taught me, such as how to make a simple budget, I somehow retained the ability to possibly sew. Granted, I'm not going to be busting out designer jeans anytime soon. But you'll sure as heck bet that I'm going to keep that polo shirt that's missing a button or a jacket that has a torn pocket.

You can by sewing kits from any number of department stores. A lot of them are pretty good, too. They tend to be small and compact with a good and secure place for every bit of thread and needle. Which is a must, considering you can't exactly use it if you're missing half the pieces. But any good sewing kit can be made at home. And if you have all the material to pull one together, why bother to buy one?

Any half decent sewing kit will contain:

1. A sturdy and secure case, box or tin (To keep everything together.)
   
2. 2 pairs of scissors (Cheap-o paper scissors and fabric shears.)
3. 5 - 10 sewing needles (You don't need special fancy needles. Medium sized are all you're going to need for general repair.)
4. 10 - 15 straight pins
5. 1 seam ripper (For fixing mistakes, removing labels, patches, et cetera.)
6. Several spools of sewing thread (While it'd be ideal to have every color under the sun you only need to stick to some basic colors. White, black, gray, red and blue. Most small repairs will be in relatively hard to spot locations anyway.)
   
7. A pin jacket, cushion or book (So you don't stick yourself accidentally.)
8. An assortment of buttons (For replacing lost ones. Most clothes with buttons keep a spare sewn into a hem, use the seam ripper to tear them out.)

If you want to go nuts you can include lots of fancy tools like a hand held sewing machine, measuring tape, marking pencils and special types of fabric shears. But those are the basics that you're probably going to need on any given day.

The dreaded homelunch

There was a time when I used to work in an office environment for nine hours a day, five days a week, fifty one weeks a year. It was a pretty grueling experience to say in the least. My days were made up of high pressure deadlines, keyboarding and a fair amount of incompetent technophobes yelling at me because they couldn't exactly wrap their heads around the whole purpose of having secure passwords and anti-virus software.

Needless to say the best part of my day was almost always the lunch hour. Sixty sweet minutes of peace and quiet to do with what I please and enjoy a nice meal. And with the missus in the next office over we could take a leisurely break together. And maybe vent at one another as to why, exactly our boss felt the need to be such an arrogant waste of skin.

Because it was a busy office environment in an area populated by office buildings, real estate brokerages and banks there was a dangerous temptation. It was called "the strip" and it was glorious. A mere sixth of a mile down the busy seven lane artery that could have passed for a major highway were more places to eat than stars in the sky. Everything from the usual fast food garbage to upscale twenty dollar sandwiches. If you felt like anything at all on any particular day of the week, you could find it, order it and consume it in less than an hour.

And man, oh man. Would that seven lane motorway clog like a low flow toilet at 11:55 every weekday, without fail.

I'm pretty ashamed to admit that we'd waste a good $60 every week on lunch. That's more than half of our current food budget for two full weeks, breakfast lunch and dinner included. We did this for more than half of a year. Our rough estimates put this at around $1,500 of pure excess. Sure, the food was marvelous and the stress relief was great. But not only were we wasting an extraordinary amount of money, our waistlines were also exponentially increasing. I gained 30 pounds at that job, due to eating out and sitting on my ass all day, typing.

Now that I work from home for the vast majority of my work week I have full access to every household appliance in my home in addition to my fridge and pantry. Lunch is no longer a problem. There's no temptation to go out, as I live in the boonies.

But I did start to get serious about being frugal before I left the office grind. While there was still a little bit of excess involved, it was far more manageable. Here are some of the tips and tricks I experimented with.

• Don't change your life style all of a sudden
  If you're used to eating out, you're going to get withdrawals it you all of a sudden stop and switch to the loathed Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich at your desk. Going out for Thai with your work buddies is far more appealing.
  
  So continue to do it, but work on scaling yourself down. Form a rough budget and evaluate your performance on a week to week basis. But don't get depressed if you go over budget once in awhile.
  
  Start bringing your lunch on your less stressful days and enjoy a nice time out on the more head grinding days. Eventually over time whittle it down so you only go out one or two days a week.
  
  
• Remove temptation
  It's depressing to see a group of your coworkers go out to your favorite lunch canteen. It's downright torture to see (and smell) them get delivery. Curb your potential torture by taking your lunch break earlier than most of your peers, if possible. Leaving the building altogether works well if you don't mind being a little antisocial. I used to bring a good book to my car and read in the spring and summer months.
  
  
• Snack
  Okay. Not all of us can be antisocial nerds and read under a tree when the clock strikes 12. Let's say you need to go out on a daily basis, if only to chat with your friends and coworkers and get a little bit of socializing in.
  
  Have a snack about an hour before lunch time and order something relatively small when you do go out. Since you won't be famished, you'll be less likely to order something off the menu that could feed a cow.
  
  
• Don't drink soda
  Soft drinks like Pepsi and Mountain Dew are mostly carbonated water. Which is essentially tap water with a bit of gas dissolved into it. I once knew a woman who managed a restaurant for a number of years. She informed me that soft drinks have an enormous third party markup. It costs the average restaurant about $0.03 to provide you with a frosty cold Pepsi. Which is why most establishments tend to offer free refills. Likely because they're charging you about $2.00 for something that costs them three cents. The same is more or less true for coffee.
  
  So if you find yourself as a fast food joint or elsewhere, simply drink water. You'll be cutting down on empty calories and saving yourself a bit of money.
  
  
• Utilize the microwave
  Microwaves are more common than toilets nowadays. There was a time when I lived off of Hot Pockets. Granted, they were still incredibly unhealthy and still cost me $2.50 a box, but that sure as heck beat going to McDonalds and buying a $6.50 double quarter pounder.
  
  You don't even have to buy microwavable convenience meals. Microwaves in the work place allow you to bring pretty much anything you can fancy for lunch, be it left overs from the night before or something you whipped up that morning.
  
  
• Utilize icepacks
  Say you're on the run more often than not and a microwave is not always an option. There's nothing chaining you down to just sandwiches. So long as you have a lunch bag and an icepack there are a number of things you can eat cold and on the run.
  
  Some ideas include:
  
  
  • Pasta Salad
    
  • Chicken Salad (Maybe with left over chicken from the night before?)
    
  • Gazpacho
  • Waldorf
  • Veggie Wraps
  • Fruit Salad
  • Left over pizza (I prefer it cold, honestly.)
  • Left over fried chicken (Fried chicken is excellent cold, that's way it makes excellent picnic fodder.)
  • Potato Salad
  • Tortilla chips and salsa (or Spinach dip)
    
  
  So long as you can dice it and shove it inside of a tortilla or a tupperware container, you can bring it and eat it cold.
  
  
• Set aside dinner portions
  Regardless of what I'm having for dinner on any given night I try to put an extra portion into a piece of tupperware before I sit down to eat. This could be anything from mashed potatoes of taco filling. This stops us from eating it and it gives me something to work with for the next day's lunch.
  
  There's no rule saying you have the have an exact duplicate of your previous night's dinner. Roast chicken can be diced up and put into a salad. Taco filling can be mixed with rice and corn. Roast beef can be sliced thinly and placed into a wrap. Mashed potatoes can be mixed with cheese and sour cream, et cetera.
  
  
• Don't underestimate the power of carbs
  I love carbohydrates. They're tasty and extremely filling. Whenever I work outside of my home for a long period of time, I always bring some seasonal fruit and a slice of breakfast bread with me. The breakfast bread will keep me filled for a long time while I bust my hump. The same is true for any complex carb, be it pasta, potatoes or a big hunk of pumpernickel.
  

So long as you make an honest effort to try to curb your unhealthy and wasteful lunch habits you'll succeed, if only a little bit at first. But it's not incredibly difficult.

Stretching food

Most people like routine and schedules, especially when it comes to their food. I for one love trying new and different things, but nine times out of ten I typically gravitate toward the dishes I've grown to love. These include tacos, chicken cheese and broccoli, roast chicken, calzones and chicken stew. So when the going gets tough people tend to start to get nervous, thinking they don't have anything to eat in the whole household.

Say it's the end of the month. You pantry and fridge are pretty barren. There's really nothing you can throw together that'd form something you're used to. A lot of people at this point, if their budget was not set completely in stone, would go out to the corner store and buy a couple of things. Or they'd order take out. Or, heaven forbid, they'd go out to eat. Situations like these seep into budgets and crack them wide open.

When someone cries that they have nothing to eat in their household they're usually far from the truth. Even the most impoverished family is going to have some essentials that can make a surprisingly satisfying meal. Sure. It may be completely true that there isn't a lot of particularly anything, but that can always be remedied by some basics every household is usually going to have.

• Canned soup
  Need to feed three or more with a single can of soup? Easy. Add 1/3 more water to in your pot than recommended before adding one or more of the following: White rice, noodles, broken spaghetti, beans, lentils, canned veggies (peas, corn, et cetera), diced carrots, diced potatoes or left over meat. Season with a little extra salt, herbs and spices to combat a watered down taste.
  
  
• Chicken
  Have a single frozen drumstick and you're looking to make a dinner for two out of it? No problem. Cut the meat off of the bone and stir fry it with: Canned, frozen or fresh vegetables, canned water chestnuts, canned bean sprouts. Add spices and soy sauce and serve over rice or noodles.
  
  
• Beef
  Have some left over pot roast or a steak you're looking to make a big meal of? Skewer medium sized chunks between large cut vegetables like bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini and squash. Marinade in an acid liquid (citrus works great) and grill. Serve with a side of rice and beans.
  
  
• Sandwiches
  Have all the ingredients for a nice round of sandwiches, no only two slices of bread? Toast the bread lightly, cut it into cubes and toss it into a bowl with all the ingredients, diced finely. Serve it like a salad.
  
  
• Fruit
  Not enough fruit to make a decent snack? Throw it into the blender any or all of the following: Ice cubes, yogurt (single servings work just fine), ice cream, orange juice, tofu, carrots (you read me right), oatmeal (yes), and milk. If you still don't have enough you can always serve it over ice cream with nuts.
  
  
• Potatoes
  Planning on baked potatoes for dinner, only have one left in the whole house? Dice it and roast it with olive oil and vegetables. Add cheese to make it something special. Parmesan works great.
  
  
• Eggs
  By far the easiest to stretch. Looking to make breakfast for the family, only to find out you have half the eggs you need? Scramble them with half as much milk. Add anything under the sun. Left over chicken, cheese, vegetables, mushrooms, bacon bits, potatoes. You name it, it'll taste awesome inside of an omelet.
  
  
• Tortilla chips
  Mix a small amount of melted cheese, beans and salsa together to form a satisfying queso. Add left over meat. Want more of a dinner out of it? Add shredded lettuce and you'll have a fully balanced meal.
  

Have your own ways to stretch your food dollar just a little bit in the face of a sudden crisis or guest invasion? Post in the comments and I'll link back to your blog in my next post.

Shared Finances: Bad idea?

I have a very good occupation in the real estate industry, despite the tanking market and avalanche of foreclosures. I work from home most of the time, I'm doing something I absolutely love to do and my clients are the best employers I've ever had in my life. I could easily live off of this job, even with part time hours.

But due to my financial situation that's not viable. I need to live and then some, to pay off American Express, Discover and Visa. I need a second, dirtier job in the retail industry. This is absolutely fine. There's nothing to be ashamed of if you're working hard toward a legitimate goal with a legitimate job. However, I've found it nigh impossible to simply get the job done. I'm quite the private person (believe it or not) in the flesh and I prefer not to divulge too much of my personal life, especially to those I work with on a regular basis. I don't want my colleagues poking into my dirty laundry.

A question I often receive is "So, you work part time here. What do you do for a living?" My answer is almost always brief and to the point. This is when people get far too curious for their own good and ask me why, exactly I'm working in a stinking retail position when I'm doing the kind of things I do for my primary occupation. Then the past financial problems get out into the open and that's it, game over. I am now qualified for their expert advice on how to handle my money. Which is completely fine, I absolutely welcome advice. I'm not that uncomfortable with the two separate worlds I live in merging.

But a problem occurs when those giving me financial advice are little to no better off than I. And in some instances quite worse off. I'm sure they have had their adventures too and know quite a bit about how to eek out a meager living in a tin can, living off of table scraps and dropped pennies like I have. But it's kind of like getting marital advice from a friend who's been divorced four times. You're sure they have a lot of experience, but it's probably the wrong kind of experience. The kind that deals with court papers and restraining orders.

Which is why I never volunteer advice in person unless it is asked for. It's far too easy to take my words far too seriously and follow them blindly. Which is great if it's the right advice, but a sure way to find oblivion if I've made a small mistake here or there. But I like giving advice over the internet, it lets me sort out my thoughts. And those who may read it will most often than not have access to the lovely Internet Encyclopedia at the same time, making it far easier to research my facts should a piece of my advice be found interesting. It's easy to provide hyper-links to alternative sources on a blog, but not so easy on the street corner.

The assistant manager at my retail job is the kind of guy who's been in my position before. He really likes to offer advice and stories on all of his adventures. He's been divorced at least once and has gone through the gauntlet that is the U.S. military. He's about 40.

One piece of advice that he's offered is that under no circumstance should my finances touch those of the missus. I should have a separate checking account, savings account, credit cards, car loans and if it comes to it, separate IRAs and CDs. According to him, even after marriage I should keep my financial independence alive in the event of the unforeseeable. While this makes sense in some respects, is it a good move? I have mixed feelings on the whole issue.

I've been with the missus for nearly eight years now, the better part of a decade. I've known her and my best friend longer than anyone else I've ever known, excluding my immediate family. And even then it's close to the line. Throughout our relationship we've never drawn a line between what is hers and what is mine. Everything has always been ours. We have a single checking account, a single savings account and we've cosigned on every car we've ever owned. We're even share most of our credit cards.

In my logic this makes perfect sense. Everything we buy is going to be used by the other person in some shape or fashion. If I purchase a video game, it's quite likely that she's going to get some game time in too. Or if she buys a piece of furniture I'm likewise going to enjoy it just as much as she is.

As such we've both contributed equally to our irresponsible spending in the past. There's no possible way to deconstruct our credit card debt and see who owes what, it's like a car wreck. Everything is smashed up against everything else. But if I were to make a fairly educated guess I'd have to admit that it'd be very close to equal. A lot of of it is from the era when we'd go out to eat 2 to 4 times a week. A good portion of it was gifts to one another, for the holidays, birthdays and anniversaries.

But even the miscellaneous stuff balances out. Sure, she'd spend $200 on clothes, but I'd purchase a ferret. Or she'd buy herself a pair of shoes and I'd buy a video game and a couple books.

So is it fair in the end of things to draw the line and say "This is yours, you pay the balance." even though that debt was in part due to my irresponsible habits too? Sure, we could take our total balances and just cut them each in half, say we're both equally responsible for our current debts, but in the future we're each on our own. But I think that attitude is a little childish. It's the equivalent of cutting a room in half with tape or a marker.

Furthermore, if we kept those habits up after we've paid off all of our debts who's to say some other nasty personality defects wouldn't rear their ugly heads? If everything I make is completely apart from hers, who's to say that I won't slip into the mindset of "It's my money, I can do what I want" and make purchases without consulting her? Right now every penny each of us makes is tracked. And we watch one another for irresponsible behavior. She'll balance out my book lust and I'll balance out her clothes lust. But if our finances were separated, there'd be no balance.

Could we simply be responsible adults and manage our own finances apart from one another? Absolutely. We've learned a lot by being thrown into the fire that is credit card debt. But why remove a mechanism put into place that can only help and balance our spending habits? Why should we share everything else in life but not our money? Shouldn't we be fully responsible for one another? Isn't it her responsibility to make sure I don't make foolish decisions? Isn't it my responsibility to make sure that she doesn't do something damaging to her credit?

Sure. It'd be a messy business splitting everything up in the event that our plans fell through. But isn't planning such an event inviting disaster to occur? I think so. As such, for the foreseeable future our finances will remain meshed in such a way that there's no telling who made this and who owes that. I like it this way.

A savings account: Because life likes to mock you

(Been a long day? Don't feel like reading? Want - the minus sign blues on the go? Click here to download and listen to an mp3 of this post, read by yours truly.)

Graphic and ominous image aside, I'd like you to take a journey with me. A tool I often like you use here on - the minus sign blues is the human imagination. It's such a powerful instrument to get ones point across if it is actively stimulated.

So, imagine something for me, will you? I can't possibly ask you to close your eyes, but you get the concept. Right?

You and your partner in debt have just put your heads together. You've finally joined forces to eliminate your money issues. You're getting tough on the issue at hand. There's budgeting in one direction, paying off credit card balances in another, and a whole mess of self satisfaction.

You think you're doing pretty good. Creditors have stopped calling for the most part, you don't worry yourself sick in the middle of the night and best of all, you feel a sense of self respect you haven't felt for a long time. You feel like you're a responsible adult now, not just like you should be one.

One frosty cold New England morning you wake up, flip the coffee machine into the "on" position and head on down to the bathroom for your shower. Groggy eyed you turn the water on to a pretty hot setting. It's very cold in the house.

You disrobe, shiver and step into the shower.

The next split second is one part sheer, eye wided shock, one part epic shrinkage and one part very loud vulgarities.

Your water heater is dead. You don't have the money for a new one.

Welcome to my world two weeks ago.

Every single financial help book details this extensively, but it bears repeating. It doesn't matter what it is, always contribute some sum to a savings account. Out of every single paycheck, whether it's $10 or $100 or $1,000.

Our problem was not one of total ignorance, but of bad timing. We've recently regained control of our finances and with it we've begun making semi-regular contributions to our savings account. The problem is, disaster stuck us when we were nearly as vulnerable as we could have been.

Consider it a kick to our gut as we were struggling to stand up.

It takes time, patience and discipline to maintain a savings account. This is especially true in the face of epic debt and some very large, angry minus signs. You're often tempted to dip into it to come to zero yourself out at the end of the work week. But if you absorb anything from this blog at all, let it be this.

But no matter how scared straight we've become with our finances, that hardly helps us now. And sure, we may have a couple hundred dollars in the account. But what does that pay for? Maybe a single rent payment, or two months groceries.

Certainly not $5,000+ for a new water heater and installation, and with our credit problems already as bad as they are, can we afford to make our big red number 40k instead of 35k? Absolutely not.

Planning for the future is an essential aspect of our survival. We would have had more in the account had we not dipped into it to meet a credit card payment or two. Suddenly a late charge doesn't seem terribly bad.

Fortunately we had relatives to come to the rescue. It's been a rough couple of weeks with frosty cold showers, but we should eventually get our new water heater.

But what if we didn't have anyone willing to foot the $5,000+ bill? What if it was something a bit more life threatening than a water heater melting down?

What if it was a car accident, or a sudden loss of employment? What about a house fire? We're going to call this a warning shot across our bow. The cold showers should serve to wake us up, both physically and metamorphically.

We were not prepared. Are you?

I hope so.

Living without TV.

It's usually one of the first things cut out of the picture, cable. Whether digital, satellite, fiber optic or plain old analog descrambler it can add up to a lot of money on a monthly basis. Sure, a lot of cable providers offer discounts and sales for combining your service with broadband telephone and internet. But in the long run, you're still spending unnecessary dough. Sales are only cost effective if it's something you actually need and use on a regular basis.

Sure, you may watch a lot of TV. But do you need it? If you can afford it, this isn't a problem. Nothing is a problem if you can afford it. This is why there are people with weekend homes and summer cars. But if you're poor, yeah, well, catch you later HBO.

A lot of the Western World is programmed to run on TV, though. How do you cope, and legally at that?

Here's a couple of ideas:

1. If you're a couch potato who suddenly finds itself jammed through a french fry slicer, try getting another job. It sucks, I know. But a lot of large retailers and food service providers hire all throughout the year for a large variety of hours. If you do this, you're not only cutting down spending but you're also increasing your income, even if you work a meager 8 hours a week, that's a $100 dollars every two, even at minimum wage.
   
   
2. Get a library card. I could (and likely will.. later) write a whole article on the wonders of the library, both to those in debt and out of. Libraries are free, in every town within the United States and more often than not, you have access to more than one. By default you can receive a completely free membership to the library in the town or city you live in. But what if you live in some backwater community where the library isn't so hot? Most often than not you can also apply to become a member of a library within the town or city you work in, also. Just remember to bring a pay stub as proof.
   
   Are you rolling your eyes? Read books? Who does that? Well, if books aren't your forte most libraries offer a selection of up to date magazines as well. Still not interested? What about DVDs? Yes, whether documentary or action-thriller your home town library probably has a collection of their own. Granted, you won't be checking out with a free copy of a new release but it's better than shelling out 10 bucks at Blockbuster. Or 50 dollars a month for digital cable.
   
   
3. My situation is unique, but you can make it work for you. I required a broadband connection in order to to my job efficiently. So, put it to good use! You can find a surprising amount of video entertainment online, for free, completely legal.
   
   • Google Video (with some searching)
     
   • Moviesfoundonline.com
   • NBC.com (offers everything from Heroes to Jay Leno, completely free.)
   • ABC.com (ditto)
   • Fox.com (double ditto)
   • CBS.com (triple ditto)
   
   
4. Don't care for public places? Try reading some free, public domain ebooks. Everything from Poe, to Dickens to Elliot.
   
   
5. Have you ever visited a large bookstore? The type that have big comfy chairs, tables and cafes inside them? Typically most megamart variety bookstores host club meetings on a weekly basis. Most often than not these clubs cost nothing but time. Regardless of what your interests may be, chances are you'll be able to find one or two that pique your interest. Whether it is Dungeons and Dragons or knitting.
   
   
6. Like to write? Know a little bit about something that others might enjoy learning? Start a blog, create an AdSense account and get to work. Granted, it won't earn you much if you're planning on using it casually as a time killer, but hey, you never know. Potential income is a great motivator to increase one's writing ability.
   
   
7. Play games. Have a room mate, girlfriend, boyfriend or gimp? Have any board games? It sounds kind of corny, but so long as you already own the board game, you might as well put it to some use! Set it up. Establish a game night.
   
   
8. Join a MeetUp that won't require you to shell out cash. Great ideas are book (remember, library), hiking, bicycling (so long as you already own a bicycle), freegan, creative writing, and historical groups.
   

And of course you're in no way limited to the ideas posted here. Go through your closet and find some of the junk you've been collecting over the years and put it to use. What about those rollerblades? Or maybe all those art supplies stashed away?

If you have any ideas, feel free to share them in the comments section.

Food budget, how we love thee.

So you've gone through your expenses one by one and trimmed any fat that you can live without. You're now driving less. The heater runs 5 degrees colder in your home. Basic cable is becoming somewhat watchable. Your subscription to National Geographic has gone the way of the Do-Do. The guy at Blockbuster no longer knows your Visa number by heart.

But it still isn't working. You've cut some corners, but apparently not enough. Just existing costs a surprising amount of cash and when you're in the red to an epic degree, it costs an enormous amount of cash. That's when a lot of people eye the elephant in the corner of the room. The one thing that's the easiest to slash, but you just don't wanna.

The food budget. I'm not talking about you being bad with the vending machine, or sneaking something off of the Value Menu. But the groceries. Eggs, bread, and butter.

It'll vary on geographical location, but chances are if you live in Western Society and you're middle class your stomach can handle it being cut in half.

Don't believe me? How much soda do you buy? How many frozen lunches do you bring to work a week? How many bags of chips do you consume on a weekly (daily?) basis? How many beers or glasses of wine do you regularly suck down like it was liquid candy? Speaking of which, how many candy bars do you tear through?

We used to live off of $200 - $250 every two weeks. We've cut it down to $50 dollars every week. That's $7.14 a day. $2.38 a meal. For two people who love to eat.

Here's how:

1. Kill the alcohol. It stings, I know. But the money you'd normally spend on a 12 pack of Sam Adams or Corona can feed you for 2 days. Scared you'll really get the jitters? Check into AA (you lush) or grab some Bum Wine.
   
   
2. Kill the soda. It's tasty and sometimes you need the caffeine fix. But not only is it nutritionally deficient in just about everything, it is also responsible for leeching the potassium out of your body. Drink a lot of soda with a bad diet? Ten bucks says you suffer from muscle cramps two or three times a month. So long as you read the nutritional facts of no name juice concentrate, you'll probably have a cheaper, more beneficial drink.
   
   
3. Clip coupons. Buying a Sunday paper costs somewhere between $1.00 - $1.90. Crack that baby open and feast upon the delicious coupon goodness within. If you only find one or two coupons you'll use that week on your grocery shopping jaunt, you'll have already paid for the paper. Three or four? You've just earned a 3 Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger bonus. Combine this tactic with your favorite grocery store sale flier. Often manufacturers will release their coupons in conjunction with in store sales. And hey, while you're at it check out the classifieds. Maybe you'll find a better job.
   
   
4. Reuse everything. Before you buy anything for dinner, think how much use you can get out of it. A fairly priced steak may feed you well tonight, but it reheats lousy. On the other hand, a whole chicken is cheaper by the pound, but it can be stretched to fill three or four meals depending on its size and those eating it. Squirt some mayo on left over chicken, chop it up and throw it on bread. Sandwich. Cut it up into your ramen. Hobo soup. Shake some hotsauce on it. Whitetrash chicken wings. And it reheats great. When there's nothing left but bones? Boil 'em and you have a great stock for chicken soup.
   
   
5. Make stuff yourself! That banana bread sure looks tasty, but it's nothing more than sugar, flour, two bananas, a single egg and a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a whole lot of mark up. Not only does making your own snacks save you money, but it'll allow greater customization. Oatmeal raisin cookies from the megamart bakery are great, but how awesome would they be with cranberries? Or apple?
   
   
6. Curb your hunger before you leave the house. A hungry shopper is going to buy way more than a satisfied one. Eat lunch or a nice snack before leaving home.
   
   
7. Make a list of what you need and stick to it, no matter how tasty those lobsters look at the seafood counter. Examine the sales flier and your coupons well before you leave your home to help you better decide what's best. If you're a little anal, writing up a meal schedule for the week won't hurt either, even if you decide on the fly you want Tuesday's dinner tonight and tonight's dinner Friday it'll still prevent you from buying unneeded groceries that could potentially spoil.
   
   
8. Bring a calculator. Enter the price of everything as you progressively shop. It's a lot easier to fix an enormous number in the milk aisle than it is at checkout.
   
   
9. Set a limit and stick to it. Whether it be $25 dollars or $150, it'll give you some focus.
   

Whether you're looking to simply hedge your bets for some future seasonal shopping, or bludgeon that Amex invoice cutting into the food budget isn't nearly as painful as you'd think. And hey, you always thought you could afford to lose a couple of pounds, right?